Less Than Humans
by Devil'sBlade
Summary: "It is not in the stars who hold our destiny but in ourselves" He quoted Shakespeare again, and she could only chuckle. He held out his hand to her.


**This is my first attempt in writing a PSYCHO-PASS fanfic, and just because Shogo is someone awesome!**

 **So anyway, thank you lilybunnyboo18 for proofreading this fic.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own PSYCHO-PASS.**

* * *

Makishima didn't really understand the need for blending in with society if he couldn't be recognized by the system which changed him. Even if he passed by the scanners, he is non-existent to them. He may as well be a ghost by everyone but not entirely true. His parents had told him that it was a gift, but he knew better than to cling to sugar coated words and try to be different from the rest.

He didn't bother about it as a child, but when he was in his early teenage years, restlessness grew to him. Not even one of those machines asked him to get a treatment, even when he had started a fight with a classmate who mocked him for questioning the school's system when he got punished because he quoted Orwell.

 _Clear white Psycho-pass._

Said classmate was killed two years later by his own hands, but no one knew who did it. The 'shepherds' interviewed him; since it was well known that he didn't get along well with that person. They examined him with their dominators but he was within the safe range. Not even near an 80 psycho-pass.

They deduced that the culprit was the teacher whose psycho-pass was more than 120, but Makishima knew that it wasn't the case. The man was suffering depression because his only child died of cancer a few months back. He tried drugs to maintain his psycho-pass but the fear of dependence on it only made it worse.

Makishima concluded that no matter what he did, the system won't recognize him.

* * *

Makishima entered college, his parents using every connection they had just so the system would recognize his existence. The system won't recognize him still, but there are things that people can do that mere software could not. He just can't understand why people chose to be the slave of such system.

He went out of his classroom, tucking his Jean-Jacques Rousseau under his arm. He headed to the bulletin board to see the test results of the midterm exam. It probably was sent to him by email but he preferred some primitive methods. Surprisingly, he wasn't alone.

Makishima's eyes came upon a girl, her long black hair tied in a low messy bun, her eyes a shade of the ocean's calm waters in summer. She wore a brown coat, and a pair of jeans to protect her from the cold autumn air. He remembered her as his classmate in Philosophy, Hanae Shizuku.

"Did you come here for the results as well, Makishima-san?" She asked, smiling at him in greeting.

He nodded and smiled back. He looked at the results and was pleased that he got a high mark. He was surprised when the girl pulled him towards her. She forced him to bend down to her level, and pointed at the lens at the center of board where a scanner was subtly located. "Hanae-san?"

"They're scared that our hues will be clouded because of this result." She chuckled darkly, eyes challenging the thing or whoever was watching them. "They should have just banned us from having marks if they would do that. Just as how they banned us from reading Machiavelli and Marx." Her tone was spiteful as she spat those words. She was glaring at the scanner with unspoken rage.

He chuckled, eyes now intently looking at her. "But Sibyl did not stop you from doing so, Hanae-san."

She pulled her hand from him, mouth hung agape. Someone saw her! "Makishima-san! I do not know what you are talking about." She denied, looking away. Subtly, she hid the book she was holding behind her back.

He only smirked, pulling the book that she held in one of her hands, the cover wrapped by a clean sheet of bond paper. "I have wanted to read 'The Prince' since I was in high school. Now I am glad someone shares the same interest." He fished out something from his pocket and handed an old book to her. "The cover might have been fortunately faded but the texts are still good as new. This is Jean-Jacques Rousseau's 'The Social Contract.'"

Hanae scanned the contents of the book, brows raised. She stopped by a particular page and smirked to herself as she read the lines.

 _Man is born free but everywhere he is in chains. One man thinks of himself the master of others, but remains more of a slave than they are._

She closed the book and nodded. "All right, Makishima-san, you got me." She held out her hand at him and smiled. "Friends?"

Makishima couldn't say no to her. Not when she held such gleam in her eyes that was filled with passion and determination. He might have brought out a spark… no, there was the spark long before he came for there was already a small flame within those orbs. He just added fuel to the fire. He shook her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, and smiled back. "Friends."

* * *

"Work for the MWSB?" Makishima raised a brow as he stared at the paper where she made a list of things she would do in her life.

Hanae nodded. "It's not what you think!"

He chuckled. "I'm not saying anything." He shrugged and slid the paper back to her in favour of getting the spork which stabbed the cherry tomato on his salad.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You were giving me a look that was somehow judging me." She answered. "But you see," She averted her gaze to her plate. "Nii-san was an inspector but the stress of his job made him an enforcer." She leaned her cheek against her chin. "Sibyl should not determine crime coefficient with stress levels. There are people who even resorted to drugs until they were put to coma just so the system would recognize that they are good citizens!"

Makishima resisted the urge to laugh. While they wanted to be recognized as 'good' citizens, he was struggling to be recognized as a living being by the system.

"That's why, there are things that should be changed." Her grip on the fork tightened. "I have read dangerous books, and yet I am not considered as a bad person by Sibyl, while nii-san saved a lot of lives and yet Sibyl made him a bad person."

He raised a brow. "Saved?"

She gave him a small smile. "Nii-san killed himself because of the prejudice."

He looked down, and reached for her hand. "I'm sorry." It was always a wonder why one would apologize without even doing anything wrong at the mention of a dead relative.

She heaved a small sigh. "What about you? What do you want to do after this?"

He only looked at her, the question echoing inside his head.

* * *

Makishima had spent an awful lot of time with the girl since then. Their interest in 'dangerous books' as the system would dictate brought them together. No one understood them. They only have each other. Hanae chuckled at that when he uttered those words after she proudly declared she had bribed someone using her father's money to smuggle her books.

He tried her once, when they discussed about a case in Germany where the man ate the willing victim because he wanted to taste a human. That was in the twenty-first century where Sybil system did not exist and the victim was said to have signed the contract. To his surprise, her PSYCHO-PASS did not increase but kept a stable 54. He did not voice it out but he was able to smuggle a scanner for his own use, using his father's money that is.

"Sibyl system?" Hanae was brought back to the reality from the last level of hell as portrayed by Dante Aligheri in the first part of his Divine Comedy. She smirked at Makishima, eyes daring him to spill what he wanted to say first. This time, she won't be the one being tested, but he would be. "Why? What's wrong with it?"

The smirk was enough for Makishima as a response to know where she stood. He chuckled, eyes going back to his Shakespeare. He turned to the next page, and completely ignored her… feigned ignored her. He knew her ideas won't leave her in peace after he brought out a topic.

She 'tsked' in annoyance, and tried to get back to her book. Her opinions, however, were flooding inside her head that she can't even finish a line in her book. She lived around people who feared the evil thoughts lurking inside her head so she kept quiet, but now that someone understood, she cannot let it slip away. "Damn it." She groaned, and she heard him chuckle.

Makishima raised a brow at her, smirking proudly. The nerve this guy has!

"It's the chain that we," She shook her head knowing too well that she was not the one who submitted herself to it. He narrowed his eyes at her, examining her fallen expression. "That the first people who accepted it, restrained us. The one whom we think we have dominion over, but in reality our oppressive master." Both felt the same. They knew that they were slaves.

But do they feel the need for a change?

He does.

She does too, but not in a way he wanted.

* * *

Hanae came to him after graduation, running to him and engulfing him in a tight embrace. They almost tumbled but luckily he has a good balance. "I got in!" She cheerfully exclaimed when she pulled away from him.

Makishima laughed, glancing at the nearest scanner. "Careful inspector, you might have to check your psycho-pass." She rolled her eyes but the smile didn't leave her face. This was what she wanted. Convince them that they don't need the Sibyl… no one would listen to her he knew, but he didn't want that flame to stop burning, thus he kept it to himself. She would find that out sooner, if they did not kill her first.

"But, I am going to miss you, Shogo." She told him as they walked. He glanced at her, and smiled. "Let's meet whenever we can, all right?" She stopped in front of him and held out her pinky finger.

He stopped, and chuckled. "You are such a child." He remarked but he intertwined his pinky finger to hers, sealing that promise.

It was her ideals that made her not qualified to live in this world, but her actions are just. He couldn't taint her just yet… not when she hadn't discovered that disappointment that led him to stray from the herd the Sibyl created.

* * *

Makishima came to her apartment one day. He was running away from the enforcers who saw him kill his 'toy' he lost interest in. Luckily, he was in a perfect guise though he had put his guard down. He should have known that the person was not worthy to have the enlightenment, was too scared of Sibyl to pursue the plan. His razor blade still has fresh blood, and there were two dogs trailing him.

He had been in this building multiple times. He smirked. "It's not yet over." He muttered under his breath as he entered the password on one of the rooms. The door opened, revealing the girl with long black hair, and blue eyes. He removed the cap that he wore to conceal his hair, and the brown coat he wore.

"Shogo!" Hanae exclaimed in surprise. She wasn't expecting him since they just met a few weeks ago before he had to deal with some business.

Two knocks were heard from her door and he panicked. He raised his index finger to his lips, and she nodded. She pointed at the door to her right, and he understood.

He hid inside, peeking through the small crevice of the door.

Hanae opened it, surprised to see two enforcers from Division 5. Her brows furrowed. "What are you two doing? You should be with one of your inspectors!" She was suddenly aware that she was only wearing a robe since she just got out of the shower.

One of them looked away. Genji, if she remembered correctly. "We're sorry, Inspector Hanae. We were authorized by our inspectors, ma'am! But we saw a criminal escaped here and we asked each tenant if he had come here."

She placed a hand on her chin in thought. Makishima was thankful then that she remained his ally. "Shouldn't you guys be searching for the quickest escape route?" She ignored how the two enforcers gasped as if they had seen a ghost. "He might have hid in one of the-" She was cut off when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer to a body she suspected to be bare, except for the denim.

"You said it will only be a minute." Makishima kissed her neck, much to her surprise.

The enforcers saluted, and apologized before they left with a flushed face.

She didn't realize it at first, but then, when she realized that a half-naked man was embracing her from behind where she could feel his hot breath on her nape, and she wearing only a robe, she could swear that her heart was trying to break free inside.

Makishima was surprised when he heard the door slammed close, almost as if it would be destroyed by that sheer force alone. "What's wrong?" He asked.

She flinched, arms flailing. "Let go of me, now!" She exclaimed

But he only laughed. It was a late reaction.

* * *

It was the fifth time escaping Sibyl's dogs when Makishima had told Hanae of his intentions, his goals, and his plans. She must have realized that trying to convince them was futile. It became a usual whenever he escapes that she would cover for him, hide him from the system, not even say a word to the others about his existence, and tend to his wounds.

"I killed your partner, you know." He had told her, clutching on his side where an enforcer had stabbed him before the said man was killed using his razor. She remained painfully silent, just as how her name implied. This was the first time he opened a topic, and she was the one who remained silent. "He was pleading for his life. He was your kohai, right?" He didn't receive a response.

He heard the first aid kit open, and some shuffling. "Will you not avenge him? Or the enforcer that I have killed?"

She let her hands fall to her sides, regarding the statement for a moment. She tried stopping him on the first, and the second. She gave up on the third knowing too well that he wouldn't listen. She looked at him through the mirror, his blood staining the sheets of her bed. The wound still gushing out a lot of blood and she wondered if he was, at this point, hallucinating or still telling the truth. And she knew it was the latter but hoped for the former.

She bit her lip, and gathered the supplies. She walked towards him, putting the supplies on the bedside table. She peeled his hand away from his wound and helped him took his bloodied shirt off, discarding it to the floor. "Bite unto this." She handed him a clean towel that was rolled.

"Why Shizuku?" He asked, facing her with a confused look.

She knew that this wasn't the right thing. Perhaps, when she go to work tomorrow, the scanners would sense her psycho-pass increasing, and they would ask her to visit a psychiatrist, and she would refuse them. No one should know. And she would be an enforcer.

"As much as how I enjoy the serving MWSB," She fetched the soaked cloth on the bedside table, crouching down to have a better view of the wound. "I wouldn't throw away our odd friendship."

No one understood her as he did.

No one understood him as she did.

The system bred people so confined to a thing to the point of not even realizing that they are being oppressed. It was all dictated by that one machine who couldn't even reveal itself to the people it governs, and the majority just accepted it freely, without any doubts. They did not realize that their very existence is dictated by it. They have no freedom, no rights, and without any means of self-actualization. They know themselves by understanding what Sibyl wanted for them, and not by looking through their selves. That was the kind of humans this Sibyl recognized…

Hanae detested the system that oppressed them but still hoped in saving the people by working within. It was naïve of her to think that if she worked for the system and start some change, it will be recognized. She had heard of stories about inspectors turning to enforcers because of some emotional turmoil, and she entered the MWSB to start changing the system by changing that.

He, on the other hand, found hope by exposing the system's flaws to the people, so a revolution will arise and completely obliterate the system. There are people like him, a Makishima Shogo who have done worse things and yet the society won't recognize him. A ghost. Someone it refused to perceive. So, he turned his back and lost faith in this wretched system, and determined to break it.

And by the power vested upon this twisted system, they are less than humans.

* * *

Makishima was on the run again. He had no wounds this time, his face still hidden from the inspector's dominator and no one saw his features except for the clothes he wore.

He turned to the corner, and continued his attempt to lose those after him. He crossed the street, still running away from the dogs who were hot on his tracks. He should have tried another strategy, or went back to using a person instead of him executing the plan instead. This was his thirty-fifth attempt and yet he still worked like an amateur.

Oddly, he had found this hilarious. Five years since he graduated college and in the context on how the real world looks like, he _is_ still an amateur.

He went inside a building which he did not bother knowing what it was. He just needed to escape. When he turned back, they were still trailing him. These two enforcers were good.

He turned right at the end of the hall, and bumped onto someone. He caught the person by the shoulders before she could fall.

"Shogo!" Hanae was gasping, surprised at the appearance of someone unexpected. He regarded her, and wondered why she was wearing a black dress. She regained her composure, and looked down. "So you knew-"

"He went that way!" The two of them heard.

Makishima cursed under his breath, removing his coat and the hat that hid his hair.

Hanae groaned in annoyance as she snatched the two articles from him and dumped it in the waste dispenser, nearby. They could hear the footsteps grow louder as the two officers got near them.

Makishima was about to make a run for it but he suddenly felt someone pulled him by his arm, hands cupping his cheek and soft lips pressed to his. Her eyes were closed to make it look real, and he took this chance to slide his hands to her waist and pulled her closer. He returned the kiss.

When the two officers reached the hallway, they stopped on their tracks, eyes widening in response at the sight they saw.

"Inspector Hanae!" Her colleague cleared his throat, face flushed as he looked away from the scene.

Hanae and Makishima pulled away from each other, looking away in feigned embarrassment.

"Inspector Fuyuki!" She was blushing. It was such a bold move, really but she ran out of options. "Did you come here for my father's funeral?" She asked, trying to sound neutral.

Makishima remained silent, head down and still looking away. He forgot about the date of her father's funeral. She sent the information a week ago but his hands were full.

"Uh no, there's a culprit on the run." The enforcer answered, now eying Makishima suspiciously.

"Did someone pass by here, Inspector Hanae?" The commanding officer asked, the scene they have encountered seemingly forgotten.

She shook her head. "We did not notice anything suspicious come our way considering that we were a bit distracted." She answered, mentally cursing for indecent actions. This would be circulating around the office the next day.

"I see," Inspector Fuyuki patted her shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss." With that, they left them.

* * *

"I cannot always cover up for you, you know." Hanae placed a bandage on the side of his head. At least this time, it was a scrape from a broken glass and not something so crucial. And as the usual routine, they were in her bedroom and he was sitting on the bed, injured. At this point, her initial thought when this happened the first time that this was something so romantic and pretending to be lovers just so they wouldn't get him, dissolved and yet hope persisted.

"One cannot simply overthrow the ruling being with just a few people. The majority accepts this system, Shogo. You are part of the minority. A revolution is impossible. This isn't like the books we have read. Even Rousseau was persecuted because of his enlightening work."

Makishima regarded her as she placed the first aid kit back to the bathroom. He averted his gaze to the mirror in front of him, his reflection staring back at him as if mocking him. She was always silent whenever he would approach her for help, intently or coincidentally. Perhaps she had gotten used to this… or she decided not to care. But would she? He wasn't blind to her feelings for him. He chuckled. Odd people make it even.

She emerged from the bathroom and sat on the bed beside him, brows furrowing. "This is not something to be laughing about, Shogo." She _tried_ to sound angry instead of being worried but she might have failed because he cupped her face. He wasn't smiling, like how those movies and books portrayed it suiting for a situation like this.

They simply stared at each other for a couple of seconds.

Before she knew it, his lips landed on hers. She was pushed to the bed, him towering over her. He pulled back. When she got hold of what was happening, he kissed her again but this time she returned it. Moments later, they were both gasping for air. His lips landed on her neck, his hands unbuttoning her blouse. He sat up just to strip himself off the shirt he wore before he bent down to continue with his work.

The order of the room was disturbed when clothes were thrown anywhere, and both of them were a panting mess. The silence replaced by the groans and moans that erupted from them.

Makishima hadn't realized what he had done when he initiated the kiss but he knew that his instincts got the better of him. And he didn't want the night to just end with that kiss.

Hanae let him. This is a world where one's worth is measured by some sort of formula no one knew what. He is someone whose existence cannot be acknowledged by the system, and someone from the said system recognized him just as how he deserved to be. He could not have a story not with this kind of world. She could, but it would be without the perfect system.

And they could not have a proper story, much more a happy ending… so their only hope is that this night wouldn't end.

 _Happy endings only exist for humans to have hope… much less for those less than humans_

* * *

"Come with me, Shizuku." Makishima was not surprised when it was her team who was assigned on the case. He finally got things right by finding just the 'right' guy to execute his plans. He would help them achieve their goals as long as they keep him amused.

Hanae pointed her dominator at him albeit knowing his condition. "Shogo, instilling fear to the people will only make them cling to Sibyl more." She let her dominator fall to her side.

He shook his head. "You have seen how cruelly this system treats people and how they wouldn't admit their faults and yet you still fight for it!" She pursed her lips as she let her grip on her dominator tightened. "Do you fear the system, Shizuku?" Her eyes narrowed, considering his statement. "You unconsciously deny it, but you fear it."

"I-" She shook her head, looking down in what could be shame. "We cannot escape the chains around us Shogo."

"It is not in the stars who hold our destiny but in ourselves" He quoted Shakespeare again, and she could only chuckle. He held out his hand to her. "Come with me, Shizuku."

She looked down. "I'm sorry, Shogo." Makishima regarded her but she didn't look up. She became a disappointment for him. "Go before the others-"

"He's here!" One of her enforcers already held a shot gun aimed at Shogo.

Hanae grimaced. It was too late. "He's not the culprit-" Before she could finish her sentence, two gunshots echoed in the area.

Makishima gasped, blood splattered on his face as a body fell in front of him. "Shizuku!" She shielded him, yet again. Saved him from the dangers he himself have caused.

The enforcer's rage doubled when he saw Makishima alive and well.

"Sho…go, run." Her voice cracked. She was panting, trying to stay conscious. She still held her dominator trying to lift it up so she could at least kill the enforcer. "If they see you, then everything you have worked for will be put to waste." She aimed blindly, only waiting for the dominator's voice inside her head to find her enemy.

Makishima guided her dominator towards the man who had an expected high psycho-pass. It shifted to a lethal eliminator mode, and he helped her shoot the enforcer who was eliminated in an instant. He couldn't hear it, but the transformation from something so lethal told him that he could use it so long as she was holding it.

"Leave." Blood trickled at the side of her mouth. It's his face that she focused on though it was hard to do so with fatal wounds that will surely kill her, and blood draining from her body. "I disappointed you. I wasn't able to cling to my ideals-"

Makishima had torn his jacket and wrapped the cloth around her stomach to stop the bleeding. "I won't let you die here!" He carried her, one arm supporting her neck while the other under her knees and escaped. He once thought of doing this to her, but not with her dying.

She managed a chuckle. "But I ought to die somewhere, right? With this condition?"

Makishima gave her a glare.

Yes, she did become a disappointment. He had high hopes for her when he first met her. He wasn't expecting her to be one of those who failed him.

However, he didn't want to just dispose of her just like what he did to others. She was the first one who understood him, accepted his ideals, and still in her own way aided him in his endeavour though she feared the system. Though she feared what might become of her… and yet she still continued helping him. His hold on her tightened.

Makishima could feel her slightly slacken a bit. "Damn it, Shizuku! Don't give up yet! You can't die here!" His voice was full of urgency. At that moment, it became a wonder if he was panting because of exhaustion or because he couldn't bear having her like this. She wouldn't be fighting for her life if it weren't for him, after all.

Hanae only focused on his face. This was the first time she saw that kind of emotion on him, and wondered if it affected his psycho-pass. "I love you. I really do and I don't regret it." She raised her hand to cup his face, blood smearing his face. "If there's one thing I regret is that I gave up on that dream of standing alongside you and protecting you for my dream of bringing justice to someone who wouldn't even be here."

He could only tighten his grip on her, afraid of losing her.

"I'm sorry, Shogo… I will disappoint you again." She closed her eyes, her hand falling to her side.

Makishima stopped and cradled her lifeless form close to him. He embraced her tightly, shaking his head. "Shizuku!"

 _Because, there are no happy endings for those less than humans…_


End file.
